Characteristics of Drama - 1660 Words

History of Drama Ancient Drama The origins of Western drama can be traced to the celebratory music of 6th-century BC Attica, the Greek region centered on Athens. Although accounts of this period are inadequate, it appears that the poet Thespis developed a new musical form in which he impersonated a single character and engaged a chorus of singer-dancers in dialogue. As the first composer and soloist in this new form, which came to be known as tragedy, Thespis can be considered both the first dramatist and the first actor. Of the hundreds of works produced by Greek tragic playwrights, only 32 plays by the three major innovators in this new art form survive. Aeschylus created the possibility of developing conflict between characters by†¦show more content†¦Subject matter was drawn from nature and natural man (such as the supposedly untouched Native American). Perhaps one of the best examples of Romantic drama is Faust (Part I, 1808; Part II, 1832) by the German playwright Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Based o n the classic legend of the man who sells his soul to the devil, this play of epic proportions depicts humankinds attempt to master all knowledge and power in its constant struggle with the universe. The Romantics focused on emotion rather than rationality, drew their examples from a study of the real world rather than the ideal, and glorified the idea of the artist as a mad genius unfettered by rules. Romanticism thus gave rise to a vast array of dramatic literature and production that was often undisciplined and that often substituted emotional manipulation for substantial ideas. Romanticism first appeared in Germany, a country with little native theatre other than rustic farces before the 18th century. By the 1820s Romanticism dominated the theatre of most of Europe. Many of the ideas and practices of Romanticism were evident in the late 18th-century Sturm und Drang movement of Germany led by Goethe and the dramatist Friedrich Schiller. These plays had no single style but were generally strongly emotional, and, in their experimentation with form, laid the groundwork for the rejection of Neo-Classicism. The plays of theShow MoreRelatedThe Baroque Era And Neoclassicism1273 Words   |  6 Pagescompletely unique emphasis and focus, artworks from these periods possess different characteristics and themes. For example, extensive drama, contrast of light and dark, and the painterly compositions are among the most prevailing characteristics of the Baroque. In this period, the artists were more unrestrained in their composition and narrated the story loosely accord ing to the original source, i.e. adding some drama or implementing additional figures. The Baroque artists’ use of contrasting lightRead MoreHumble John Proctor Characteristics1675 Words   |  7 PagesThe Humble John Proctor The Crucible was a drama that was written by Arthur Miller in the year 1692. Arthur, who was born in 1915, came from a humble beginning. He was part of the upper middle class and he worked long hours in a warehouse to earn enough money to attend college. Once he had attained enough money he attended the University of Michigan, there he had learned to write and he wrote three dramas including The Crucible. During the time that he wrote The Crucible, a similarRead MoreOedipus As A Tragic Hero1506 Words   |  7 Pagespossesses admirable characteristics. A hero inspires the people around him and he is honorable. Heroes influential individuals from fairytale stories and myths of a real-life hero. Yet, none of these influential people are perfect. The tragic hero is clearly defined by Aristotle as being a person of admirable character, yet completely human with noticeable flaws. Moreover, this individual is not exempt from suffering. In Sophocles’ tragic drama, Oedipus displays heroic characteristics as well as thoseRead MoreThe Crime Of Entertainment Television Shows Have Been Fascinated With Violence And Murders1225 Words   |  5 Pagesand expected roles that should be played. Crime drama series normally follow a two part approach: the first half-hour is the investigation of the crime committed which are usually a murder and the apprehension of the suspect while the second half of the show is the prosecution of the defendant. There is at least one police officer that ends the rules to serve justice. The end of the program can create powerful images of the crime, and characteristics of the offender and victim. Law Order: SpecialRead MoreComparing and Contrasting Literary Forms691 Words   |  3 PagesComparing Contrasting Literary Forms Authors name Authors institutional affiliation Authors note Comparing Contrasting Literary Forms The paper will consider the similarities and differences among the literary forms of drama, poetry, and the short story. Certainly, an obvious similarity is that they are all forms of literature and as such have the great potential to affect peoples hearts, minds, and experiences. Literature, when executive well, has the potential to change a personsRead MoreMasculinity And Self Determination And Aggression1445 Words   |  6 Pagesset of attitudes, roles or traits related to men. It develops by the social and biological parameters and factors. However, it could be exhibited by males as well as females, depending upon the development of masculine traits in them. The main characteristics of masculinity include bravery, impartiality, freedom, and firmness which depend upon the locality and background of the individual, as well as the community and traditions. An extremism of negative traits of masculinity is disregarded in theRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Macbeth And Richard IIi906 W ords   |  4 Pagesgood characters from bad characters; one such technique as the application of deformity or an abnormality manifests itself physically and psychologically with the dramas. The incorporation of a defect, whether it be physically or psychology, reveals flawed characteristics within the said character. Most of these flawed characteristics, though revealed in different situations, share similar problems and consequences. For example, Richard III, also known as The Tragedy of King Richard the Third andRead MoreThe Elizabethan Age: Is There a History Behind the Theater? Essay examples1668 Words   |  7 Pages There’s always history behind a theater, right? Right! The Elizabethan Theater was part of an age where body of works reign while Elizabeth I was queen (1558-1603). During the Elizabethan era, there was a mass production of inspired drama, poetry and other forms of literature, as well as growth in humanism and significantly the birth of professional th eater in England. This period embodies the work of Sir Philip Sidney, Edmund Spenser, Christopher Marlowe, the well-known, William ShakespeareRead More Tragedy In Drama Essay1713 Words   |  7 Pages Tragedy and Drama In a range of dramatic works from Agamemnon to Hamlet, one sees the range of development of the tragic form, from the earliest Greek to the later Shakespearean tragedies. There are two basic concepts of tragedy: the concept introduced by Aristotle in his Poetics, and the concept developed by Frederick Nietzsche in his quot;The Birth of Tragedy.quot; Many dramas can be reviewed to reveal the contrast between these two concepts of tragedy, and demonstrate the development of theRead MoreWhat Is the Genre of Woyzeck?1640 Words   |  7 Pagesor her immediate answer would be; Hamlet, Othello, Macbeth, possibly even King Lear. This is because these plays constitute what is conventionally known as a Tragedy. They mostly follow the conventions outlined in Aristotle’s Poetics, and have characteristics recognisable of a Tragedy, for example, the tragic hero being of upper class or noble background, and the tragic hero’s actions leading to inevitable consequences. As Buchner†™s Woyzeck does not solely fit into this template, its genre can be deemed